The present invention relates generally to physical security for portable devices, and more specifically to physical security of portable electronic devices having a hinged member that overlies one or more operational interface elements.
Computer physical security devices are well known.
Many portable devices such as, for example, laptop computers and other portable electronic devices are manufactured having a portion of a housing wall provided with a specially designed security slot. Specifications for this slot have been promulgated by the assignee of the present invention as a standard. This standard may be found at Kensington's web page at http://www.kensington.com/developers/dev—1199.html, and is hereby expressly incorporated by reference for all purposes.
It is well known to provide physical locking devices designed to interface to this specially designed security slot. An exemplary product is the Kensington MICROSAVER® physical security product, as well as other preferred embodiments embodied in several issued US patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,752, issued Jul. 12, 1994—entitled “Computer Equipment Lock”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,685, issued Jan. 17, 1995—entitled “Computer Physical Security Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,251, issued Dec. 14, 1999—entitled “Computer Physical Security Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,989, issued Apr. 2, 1996—entitled “Computer Physical Security Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,878, issued Feb. 27, 1996—entitled “Computer Physical Security Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,088, issued Dec. 5, 2000—entitled “Computer Physical Security Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,252, issued Dec. 14, 1999—entitled “Computer Physical Security Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,562, issued Sep. 5, 2000—entitled “Computer Physical Security Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,557, issued Dec. 28, 1999—entitled “Computer Physical Security Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,561, issued Sep. 5, 2000—entitled “Security Device for a Portable Computer”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,739, issued Aug. 4, 1998—entitled “Security Hole Fastening Device”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,891, issued Mar. 21, 2000—entitled “Security Hole Fastening Device” and patent application Ser. No. 09/426,066, filed Oct. 22, 1999—entitled “Cable Locking Device”; Ser. No. 60/128,988, filed Apr. 12, 1999—entitled “Security Hole Fastening Device”; Ser. No. 09/532,382, filed Mar. 22, 2000—entitled “Slot Adapter” and Ser. No. 09/813,924—entitled “Physical Security Device and Method for Portable Device” for example, all hereby expressly incorporated by reference for all purposes.
These products are effective at deterring unauthorized movement of the portable device to which it is secured by localizing the portable device to a relatively immoveable object. The materials of the lock are designed so that the housing must be damaged in order to separate the lock from the portable device. By this expedient, unauthorized movement of the portable device is inhibited for several reasons. These reasons include a reluctance of a party to be observed damaging the housing as it would be obvious to observers that such party was unauthorized to tamper with the portable device. In addition, successfully separating the lock from the portable device in this fashion creates a damaged housing near the defeated security slot that is difficult, if not impossible, to repair, evidencing unauthorized possession of the portable device.
The products embodied in these incorporated patents serve as effective devices to inhibit the unauthorized movement of a portable electronic device beyond a predetermined distance from an object to which the portable electronic device is localized. Commonly, a flexible cable localizes an attachment mechanism to an object other than the portable electronic device, thereby limiting movement away from the object.
The attachment mechanism has a moveable locking member that engages a security slot defined in a wall of the portable device. The locking member, in an engagement configuration, cooperates with the security slot, the housing and possibly other elements of the attachment mechanism to inhibit reconfiguration of the locking member to a disengagement configuration in which the locking member may be disengaged from the security slot.
These solutions achieve a primary goal of such devices, namely to inhibit the unauthorized movement of the portable electronic device. For portable electronic devices that are secured in public or semi public areas, simple security against unauthorized movement is not sufficient to inhibit unauthorized use of the device while it is securely localized.
The prior art provides physical security solutions that do inhibit use of a portable electronic device while securing the device to a location. One such solution is a carrying case that completely surrounds the portable device and prevents any access or use of the device. A security device may simultaneously maintain the carrying case (with portable device inside) closed, and localized to an object. While this achieves the simultaneous goals of limiting access to the portable electronic device and inhibiting its movement, this solution is undesirable in situations in which a user desires convenient access to the portable electronic device. One such application is use of a laptop in a library or other public resource room. The user desires to access the laptop to records notes, for example, but inhibit operation and movement of the laptop while the user moves about the library. The user desires to quickly re access the laptop upon returning to the laptop's location. The carrying case solution is too cumbersome for all users in similar situations.